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    1. I'm moving, in the EU, from Hungary to The Netherlands. Any tips?

      Inspired by (or if you prefer, ripping off) @spit-evil-olive-tips ' moving thread. I'm a US expat with Hungarian citizenship, moving with two native Hungarian friends (plus a dog and 2 cats), to...

      Inspired by (or if you prefer, ripping off) @spit-evil-olive-tips ' moving thread.

      I'm a US expat with Hungarian citizenship, moving with two native Hungarian friends (plus a dog and 2 cats), to The Hague. We have an apartment there, all 3 animals are chipped and vaccinated (and we 3 are not...). My cousin will be driving us there in about a month.

      We already have an appointment, a couple days after the move, to register our BRPs and BSNs at the local govt office. Sooner would be better, but it must be done in person, and right now, I don't relish the idea of a 2nd trip across the EU just to get registered a bit faster.

      I'm primarily looking for tips on smoothly integrating into Dutch society ... utilities, banking, health care, whatever else I'm forgetting to worry about. But I'm open to any tips regarding any aspect of moving between countries in the EU, in the middle of a poorly-managed global pandemic.

      Side-note for the entrepreneurs: In the US, you can rent a car, truck or trailer anywhere, drive it to anywhere else ... and leave it there. I appreciate the added complexities of an int'l version of that service, but if anyone can be the first to resolve those challenges in the EU ... $$$. Or rather, €€€.

      ETA: Any advice posted to @spit-evil-olive-tips thread need not be repeated here.

      19 votes
    2. Tildes, I'm going on a ten day road trip with my s/o, what are some things I should prepare for?

      It's been about a decade since I had a vacation and I have a wedding to attend, so to kill two birds with one stone we will be traveling from Florida to New York by car. Me and my girlfriend of 7...

      It's been about a decade since I had a vacation and I have a wedding to attend, so to kill two birds with one stone we will be traveling from Florida to New York by car. Me and my girlfriend of 7 months will be taking the trip together and its both of our first times taking a vacation in forever.

      Aside from the more obvious stuff like toothbrushes, clothes and condoms (humble brag), what should I think about? After the wedding we'll have nearly a full week to do anything we want or go just about anywhere within reason/distance.

      Here's what I have covered so far:

      • Trip route is planned for there and (somewhat) back.
      • Car oil changed, tires replaced, cleaned & roadside assistance available 24/7.
      • Cat is taken care of, will be well fed and spied on via a security cam.
      • Got lots of good snacks for the road, small cooler with water etc.
      • Will be using airbnb or a somewhat affordable hotel most nights, we're not scraping by but we want to try and spend money on fun stuff instead of rooms.
      • Got plenty of phone charges, plugs, etc for all our electronics.
      • Got an emergency medical kit and a paper US map in the car (For fun, and just in case.)

      So any suggestions, anything I am missing? Anything I can do to make the trip more fun for me and my girlfriend? Any fun road trip things to do between FL to NY would be nice as well!

      13 votes
    3. The magic of road trips

      It's summer where I am and I'm kicking myself for not having planned a road trip. Road trips are magical. I once fell out of love with someone while on a road trip. On another trip, I fell in love...

      It's summer where I am and I'm kicking myself for not having planned a road trip. Road trips are magical. I once fell out of love with someone while on a road trip. On another trip, I fell in love with someone. A road trip helped me reconnect with my mom as an adult. I once got pulled over next to a farm full of yelling, angry goats. One time a weird guy wandering around on top of a mountain tried to get in the car with us. One time I ran into Martha Stewart at a junk shop. I learned that sleeping in your car is not nearly as bohemian-romantic as it sounds.

      There's something special about being in the car and feeling like you have the freedom to go anywhere and that the memories from the journey are just as important as those from the destination.

      What have been your favorite road trips? What was the most beautiful? What was the most memorable? Are there any places you long to go back to, or roads you've vowed never to drive again?

      16 votes
    4. Travelling to Paris. Stories, advice, and tips?

      Hey folks! I'm travelling with my wife to Paris for about 2 weeks. If you have any Paris stories, I'd love to hear them! Have any travel advice? I'm all ears. Local knowledge or location tips like...

      Hey folks! I'm travelling with my wife to Paris for about 2 weeks. If you have any Paris stories, I'd love to hear them! Have any travel advice? I'm all ears. Local knowledge or location tips like awesome places to eat or places to see off the beaten path would be amazing.

      16 votes